Stirling’s Bay City Roller Alan Longmuir has spoken of his excitement at the band’s big reunion, 40 years after they split.

Alan, 67, who formed one of the world’s first boybands with hits like Shang A Lang and Bye Bye Baby, said he never would have believed they would sell out their return gigs at Glasgow’s Barrowland ballroom.

Bannockburn resident Alan, who was made redundant from his job as a boiler inspector a couple of years ago, said: “I was pottering around the house, getting under my wife’s feet. I thought my musical career was over.

“It was my wife Eileen who said I should get out and start doing something again. But never in my wildest dreams would I have thought this would be happening.”

The 2000-capacity venue was sold out within minutes of tickets going on sale for the December 20 gig. Further dates were added and sold out in record time too.

Grandfather-of-three Alan is rejoining frontman Les McKeown and guitarist Stuart Wood, who have been in the studio to record a new single Boomerang, which they plan to follow up with an album, now that they’re working with new manager John McLaughlin.

He said: “I thought if we sold 800 tickets we’d be doing OK. It’s amazing to think we’ve surpassed that.”

Alan has already been touring with a successful show called And I Ran With The Gang. Written by award-winning playright Liam Rudden, it tells the story of how Alan was the original Roller and formed the band in 1966. It’s proved a huge hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, and is due to go on tour to London, New York and Toronto.

He said: “The comeback tour has had to work around my commitments with Liam and his show. It’s a juggling act, but it’s just great to be popular again.

“I was on stage with that show, and one woman threw a huge bra at me. At the end of the gig she came up to me and my wife and said ‘Can I have my bra back?

At the height of their fame, the Bay City Rollers couldn’t walk down a street without being mobbed by adoring fans.

“It’s hilarous to see how things have changed. We’re popular with guys now which was never the case back in our heyday. Then, the Rollers were a pop band and seen as too girly for fellas to listen to.” But it all ended with the heart-throbs seeing very little of the millions made from their musical heyday. There’s an ongoing court case, to try to recoup some of the money made from their record label.”

Two members of the band will be missing from the reunion, but Alan says there’s no animosity between them.

He explained: “Eric (Faulkner) is down in Penzance and he’s really into the folk scene. The door will always be open for him to join us, but he hasn’t been in contact.

“My brother Derek doesn’t want to come back. He’s a psychiatric nurse and has put his music career behind him. But he’s wished us all good luck.”